Question

What are the most commonly abused prescrip-

tion drugs?

22. Using the data in the graph, estimate
the total number of people who abuse
prescription drugs.
23. CRITICAL THINKING Why do you think these
particular drugs are the most commonly abused?

Activities
24. Health and You Select an advertisement for an
OTC drug. Analyze the claims and benefits given
in the advertisement. How does the advertisement
try to sell the drug? Rewrite the advertisement,
and give suggestions for relieving the problem
without use of the drug.

25. Health and Your Community Long-term self-
medication with OTC medicines is becoming

more common. Write a one-page report that
presents possible reasons for this trend. Explain
possible health problems the overuse of OTC
medicines can lead to.
26. Health and You Write a reply to the following
statement: “Just try it once; one try won’t harm
you. It’s not like you’ll become an addict
overnight!”
Action Plan
27. Setting Goals You have a choice
about how much you rely on drugs to relieve
symptoms brought on by stress. Create a plan to
restrict your reliance on drugs.
LIFE SKILL

28. In this passage, the word harnessed means
A made.
B promoted.
C captured.
D distributed.
29. What can you infer from reading this passage?
E Star Energy will work for you.
F This is an advertisement.
G Star Energy is an OTC medicine.
H Star Energy has been approved by the FDA.
30. Write a paragraph on the methods that are used
in this advertisement to make the product sound
effective.
31. Because it is natural, is Star Energy any safer or
more effective than a drug made in a laboratory?
Explain.
32. Do you think this product could be abused?

Answer 1

Opioids (such as OxyContin and Vicodin), central nervous system depressants (such as Xanax and Valium), and stimulants (such as Concerta and Adderall) are the most commonly abused prescription drugs.